Reptiles

Context

SSSI features can be notified if they qualify under the reptile
criteria outlined in section 2 of Chapter 15 'Reptiles and
Amphibians' of the Guidelines for Selection of Biological
SSSIs. There are no ASSIs for reptile features in
Northern Ireland.

For reptiles, site selection should
particularly take account of smooth snake Coronella
austriaca and sand lizard Lacerta agilis. Sites
may also be selected for outstanding assemblages of at least three
of the four other native terrestrial species - adder Vipera
berus, grass snake Natrix natrix, common lizard
Lacerta vivipara and slow worm Anguis
fragilis.

List of SSSI and ASSI interest features in this reporting category

This list has not been fully standardised at a UK level yet. It is intended to show the principal constituent "feature types" for this reporting category.

Maps - distribution

Distribution of reported interest features.

Map showing the locations of the 10km squares in which at least one condition assessment has been reported. It does not show features that have not yet been assessed.

Maps - SSSI

Current condition of SSSI/ASSI features
Distribution of SSSI/ASSI features showing assessments of favourability (where unfavourable-recovering is counted as unfavourable).

Condition of SSSI/ASSI features, with those currently reported as unfavourable-recovering shown as favourable
The implication of the unfavourable-recovering condition assessments is that at some point in the future these features should become favourable. This map shows the effect of that recovery by counting the favourable and unfavourable-recovering assessments together.

IMPORTANT NOTE: we do not have information on the timescale of the predicted recovery, which may be influenced by many past, natural and human related factors. A sustained sympathetic management regime is more likely to result in favourable condition being attained.

Key: Proportion of assessed features on 10km squares that are favourable:

Condition summary

This lists the 10 different condition assessments and presents a bar chart showing the number of features within the SSSI series. Note that we are unable to estimate the total number of SSSI/ASSI features because we do not have an overall list of notified interest features for these designations.

NB favourable unclassified and unfavourable unclassified have been used in this first six year cycle to get around difficulties in identifying trends in condition as common standards monitoring is implemented. It is expected that these categories will not be used for subsequent assessments of a feature.

Condition assessment - SSSI features

The number and proportion of assessments for SSSI/ASSI interest features falling into each of the condition categories. Note that the �unfavourable� category includes all reports of unfavourable condition except �unfavourable recovering� which is shown as a separate segment.

Management measures

For each "measure" the chart shows the number of interest features where that measure has been taken on a site to improve or maintain the condition of an interest feature. More than one measure may be reported for each feature assessed.

Interpretation

Only four SSSI assessments have been
reported; all are in favourable condition. This is considered
to be too small a sample to enable objective interpretation, or for
meaningful comparisons with other reporting categories.